Rewind....recount of East Algarve

April 17, 2016

East Algarve- Faro, Tavira, and Olhão

As promised, before my bout of food poisoning, here is my recollection of the east Algarve. So, let's rewind to Tuesday morning...

traditional Portuguese tile on home and orange tree

Tuesday March 15, 2016

This is my final tour in the Algarve region. We are going the opposite direction than we did last time. Miguel tells me it is noticeable how the topography changes. It is much flatter in the East than in the West. I was looking forward to seeing the difference between the Loulé market and the Olhão market. They both have fish markets as well as separate produce markets.

After seeing both, I decided I would opt out for the one in Olhão if I ever go back to Portugal for an extended period. It may have been because we went on a weekday to Loulé or it may be that this one was more for the working people and commercial buyers. The atmosphere was more relaxed and  “real” than the frenzy of the Loulé weekend tourist filled town. Had I known that the Loulé market was open the whole week I would have gone on another day. I think I misread the information and confused the fish/produce market only being open on the weekend instead of the Gypsy market.They run as separate entities. Oh well.

I am getting ahead of myself though. We started off driving into Faro to stop and take a look at the old town. I didn’t have a great amount of energy today and I warned Miguel about it as we were on our way to Faro. It was a cloudy morning. We both hoped the rain would hold out or wait until the end of our day. As we arrived in Faro the parking lot was packed. It is the usual problem in a larger center. I was not all that enamored to go wandering about just to glimpse at buildings.  I like to get more out of it than just that. There are museums and points of interest, but we did not have time to enjoy those as we had a lot of ground to cover. The market was only open until 1 pm. On our 5th turn of the parking lot trying to find a spot, Miguel suggested we go to the market first and then come back. I thought that was the best bet. I know Faro has history, but it would have to stay hidden from me for now.
On the way to the market we drove through and by the Praia de Faro which is both a reserve for marine biology and a place where clams, mussels and other shell fish are harvested. It is a huge stretch of land and it seemed we were driving beside it for most of the day. The best way I can describe it is a bog. the  tide comes in and out, so it is always mucky but sometimes flooded.

We had no problem parking in Olhão, which is a bonus. Miguel got out the scooter and we were off to the market. It was indeed very large. I was glad we decided to come here now. Some of the fishmongers were already clearing their stalls. Not to worry though, there were a lot more fish to be had at the moment. In the end, I was excited to get a big piece of fresh tuna, oysters, sardines and another little fish that I can’t remember the name of, and a commonly sold local fish starting with a" D" which I have also forgotten. I should have written it down.They are all easy to prepare, or so I was told.  We took a quick look into the produce side. They are two separate buildings.

















In the produce building, I was mainly looking for fruit. I found a local fruit that is in season. I had seen it on trees several times while driving.
 It’s called Nȇsparus. I wanted to try it. I found a small melon ( the seller assured me it was local), and oranges. I had to try the local oranges.With our stash, we headed back to the van. Miguel was kind enough to bring a cooler with him so that our fish would be nice and snug in the chilled environment.

Tavira was interesting, although again, we only had a glimpse of it. We drove through the historic centre and it was one of those places where you would just like to ramble and stop for a coffee and treats then continue to wander.

We went to Quarto Aguas which is the salt flats just outside of the town. It is quite an amazing production and the piles of white you see in the background is salt.





The next stop would be Santa Luzia and lunch. What is Santa Luzia? It is the octopus capital. I was so hungry that I forgot to take pictures of our meal, but with the magic of the Internet, nothing needs to be missed and you can find both of our plates here.

 https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g1019185-d8064153-Reviews-Restaurante_Polvo_Companhia-Santa_Luzia_Faro_District_Algarve.html

 At the restaurante Polvo & Companhia, we had clams and octopus, and octopus and corn ( basically Portuguese polenta). I thought it was very good, but I was stuffed. Our couvert today was sardine paste and a fresh goat cheese. (I also forgot to take that photo, sorry). With lunch done, we struck out again as to not subside to wanting to nap.
 Back to Faro we went. On the way we stopped briefly at Igrega Sao Laurenco in the community of Amancil. Unfortunately, the church itself was closed, but I did get a few shots of the outside. It is most markedly known for its blue tile interior. Another place very difficult to park. I don't think I saw the real Faro, but it is impossible to see everything on one trip to a country that has such rich history.

Entrance to old town Faro

We drove homeward , but before we came to he hotel, Miguel showed me a beach that the locals tend to go and is not as frequented by tourists as the others.The access to the beach(via stairs) had been damaged by torrential rain in the previous year and not been repaired yet. 

I arrived home tired, but content. It was time for a quick nap before having a bite. Another fine day out and the rain held out for the end of our trip.